The Bass Brewery was established in 1777 by William Bass in Burton upon Trent, England. Their primary product was Bass Pale Ale. The visually distinctive red triangle – the self-proclaimed “world’s most famous trademark” – of Bass Ale is probably the England’s first registered trademark.

The Bass Brewery acquired a few other large breweries in the early 20th century and merged with Charrington United Breweries in the 1960s to become Bass Charrington – one of the biggest brewing companies in the United Kingdom.

DESIGN ELEMENTS OF BASS ALE LOGO

Bass Ale is widely considered to be a pioneer in international brand marketing and business development. The Bass Ale logo, featuring a red triangle, was the first trademark to be registered under the British Trade Mark Registration Act 1875, filed as trademark no.1.

Shape of the Bass Ale Logo:

Since its inception in 1875, the Bass Ale logo is a definitive example of all options being available. Considering very few nonrepresentational corporate logos were there at that time, a shape as basic as an equilateral triangle was usable for appropriation. The only problem with the use of a simple geometric shape to symbolize a brand is that it is very common, and happens to be seen everywhere.